This Friday, Fairport Convention kick off their Autumn tour; the nationwide jaunt will take in 25 dates across England, Scotland and Wales. We also wind back the clock to 1971 and an appearance at a beach in the Southport area of Merseyside.
Today, Proper Records, in collaboration with UMC, are reissuing four Sandy Denny albums, originally released between 1971 and 1977. We take a look back at the history.
In 1971, Granada TV decided to make a special 30-minute concert on Ainsdale beach featuring Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span. Watch the entire set – 30 minutes of excellent classic folk-rock.
Iconic UK Folk Rockers Fairport Convention are celebrating their monumental 55 year anniversary with their first Winter Tour in 2 years, taking in 30 dates throughout the UK.
Much to the delight of fans and the band, Fairport Convention are back on the road again following the forced hiatus of the past year-and-a-half. On 14th August, they will also be sharing a free online concert recorded at the Brasenose Pub in Cropredy.
In partnership with Cambridge Folk Festival, BFI curators William Fowler and Vic Pratt have put together a selection of folk-related films to watch for free on the BFI website including documentaries featuring The Watersons, Kathryn Tickell, Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull and more.
Fairport Convention are still making consistent music that never falls below the top-notch bracket. Shuffle And Go is another solid, and solidly desirable, entry in the Fairport canon.
We catch up with singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Chris Leslie at Cropredy, who has been a member of Fairport Convention since 1997. He talks about his new love for the clarsach, plans for a new solo album, Fairport news and more.
Johnny pays tribute to the late Maart Allcock who made his final live performance at Cropredy this year and shares his highlights from the festival including Afro Celt Sound System, Midnight Skyracer, Oysterband and Le Vent du Nord.
Who knows whether we can expect to see so many Fairports together on a stage again, but for now what we have is a brilliant best-of collection performed with the musicianship you might expect, but a vibrancy you possibly wouldn’t from a band with a half-century heritage.
Due for release on August 3rd via Island records, A Tree With Roots: Fairport Convention And The Songs Of Bob Dylan is a compilation that marks the 50th anniversary since the original 12-track Basement Tapes acetate of Dylan arrived in London.
